the ramparts

Habakkuk was going to wait for Yahweh to respond to his complaint about the wicked ones. He was going to stand at the watch post or guard shack. He would station himself at the ramparts to the town in the tower. He was going to watch to see if Yahweh was going to respond to his complaints.

Nahum warned that they should get ready for the battle in very descriptive language. A shattering foe was to come up against them. They were to guard the ramparts leading up to their town. They were to watch the road. They were to gird their loins, that meant that they would tuck in their robes around their waist for better leg movement. Today’s equivalent would be roll up your selves. They were to collect all their strength for the battle to come.

The psalm ends with a demand that the people appreciate Mount Zion. The towns of Judah should rejoice because of God’s judgments. The psalmist wanted everyone to walk all around Mount Zion. He wanted them to count the towers, see the ramparts, and walk through the various fortresses. Then they would be able to tell the next generation about God. This seems to imply that there was some kind of special presence of God at this holy mountain. Normally, they would say the presence of the name of Yahweh, but here it is God directly, who was there eternally, forever and ever as a permanent guide.